A cycling and walking advocacy group says taxpayer funding to help people stay two metres away from each other could lead to permanent changes.
A temporary planter-box cycleway on Quay Street, Auckland. Photo: Supplied / Ministry of Transport / Greater Auckland
The government is re-purposing an existing $7 million fund to pay for wider footpaths and temporary cycleways.
Living Streets Aotearoa's spokesperson, former Wellington mayor Celia Wade-Brown, is encouraging councils to apply for the money.
She said they should take the opportunity to trial streetscapes more friendly to cycling and walking, such as layouts now being used in New York.
And as a group of business executives is recommending shovel-ready projects that can help the economy recover from a looming recession, Wade-Brown is calling for cycleways to feature.
Mark Binns, chair of the Infrastructure Industry Reference Group, said part the aim of the projects was to support New Zealanders in jobs as well as infrastructure like roads and water systems.
"We're looking right around the country in all the regions as to where we can help," he said.
The group would have a list of projects to the government by early May.
Wade-Brown said multiple cycleways around the country had resource consents, or were ready to gain them.
She said the many flow-on benefits from more cycleways include improved health for users.
